Five days in a big city that is easy to explore alone or with friends: the royal palaces and old lanes of the north, a market and a design landmark, the mountain and the museums of the south, the youth quarter in the west and a day out to a walled town.
5 daysAnyoneMid October19 places
Copy this plan to your own trips, then change anything you like.
Before Day 1. Seoul is big and the airport is far from the center, so keep the first evening small.Details
Before and after landing
Check what your passport needs to enter South Korea, because some visitors need an authorization before they fly. Incheon is a long way from the center, linked by an airport railroad and buses. Gimpo is closer in.
Getting around
The subway is the backbone of the city, with signs and announcements in English. Get a rechargeable transit card at the airport or a station and use it on trains, buses and in many shops. A map app that shows subway lines helps a lot.
Where to stay
A base near a subway line in the Jongno or Myeong-dong area puts the palaces and markets close. The Hongdae area is livelier at night. A stay in a hanok, a traditional wooden house, is a different kind of trip, so check ahead how it is set up.
First evening
Walk the lanes near your base, eat something simple and sleep early. Day 1 starts at Gyeongbokgung, the main palace, which is calmer in the morning.
Day 1. Palaces and old lanes
4 stops · 2.7 km
The old royal city, on foot. Start in the main palace while the courtyards are calm, climb through the traditional houses of Bukchon, then slow down in the tea house lanes and finish beside the stream that runs through the center.
1
MorningWorth the time
Gyeongbokgung
The main palace of the Joseon dynasty, with a great gate, wide courtyards and a throne hall behind it. A pavilion stands on a pond at the back. Go early, before the courtyards fill, and check ahead for the weekly closed day.
Go whenMorning, as early as you can, before the courtyards fill.
Local tip Walk the full line from the main gate to the throne hall and then on to the pond pavilion at the back. A guard ceremony is held at the gate on a schedule, so check ahead.
A hillside neighborhood of traditional wooden houses between two palaces, with narrow lanes that look over the tiled roofs toward the city. People live here, so keep your voice low and check ahead for any visitor rules.
Go whenLate morning, when the lanes are calmer and the light is high.
Local tip Keep your voice low and stay on the public lanes, because people live in these houses. Rules for visitors can change, so check ahead.
Rice topped with seasoned vegetables, a little meat and a fried egg, stirred together at the table with a spoonful of chili paste. A filling lunch in the small restaurants around the palaces.
Local tip Add the chili paste a little at a time. The dish is meant to be mixed well before you eat.
A long lane of galleries, craft shops, calligraphy supplies and tea houses, with small courtyards tucked behind the street. A good place to slow down and sit with a warm drink.
Go whenAfternoon, for a tea and a slow look at the shops.
Local tip Step into the small courtyards behind the main street, where the tea houses and craft shops are quieter than on the lane itself.
Insa-dong has tea houses in old wooden buildings that serve warm teas made from jujube, ginger or citron, with rice cakes or a small sweet. A calm break in the afternoon.
Local tip Ask what the house is known for. The teas are sweet and warm and not like the black tea you may know.
A stream that runs through the middle of the city, below street level, with stepping stones, bridges and benches along the water. It starts at a small plaza in the center, and walkers follow it for as long as they like.
Go whenEvening, as the city lights come on.
Local tip Walk down to the water at the start of the stream and follow it for a while. Stop when you like and take the stairs back up.
Slices of pork or beef grilled at the table over charcoal or gas, wrapped in lettuce leaves with garlic, a dab of paste and side dishes. The streets north of the stream are full of places that serve it.
Local tip Wrap a piece in a lettuce leaf and eat it in one bite. Tell the staff about any allergy before they bring the side dishes.
If it rains. Gyeongbokgung is best dry, but there are museums close by and Insa-dong has covered galleries and tea houses, so keep those. Bukchon and the stream are better dry, so shorten them in heavy rain.
Day 2. Changdeokgung, a market and the city wall
4 stops · 3.7 km
A second palace and its hidden garden, a famous food market, a building of curved metal and an evening on the old city wall. A day of walking, with a short subway ride or two in between.
1
MorningCheck ahead for the garden
Changdeokgung
A World Heritage palace that follows the shape of the land, with halls and gardens spread across a gentle hill. The rear garden is visited on a guided walk, so check ahead whether a place is available.
Go whenMorning, with the garden walk first if you booked it.
Local tip The rear garden is visited with a guide in groups, so check ahead whether it suits your day. The palace halls can be seen without it.
One of the oldest markets in the city, with rows of food stalls under a roof, where people eat at shared counters. Look for pancakes, small rolled snacks and bowls of noodles.
Go whenMidday, when the stalls are busy and the food is fresh.
Local tip Pick a counter, sit and share a few plates. If you have an allergy, ask the stallholder before you order, since the dishes are cooked in the open.
Bindaetteok, a crisp pancake of ground mung beans fried on a hot griddle, eaten with a soy dipping sauce. The market has rows of stalls that fry them, with small rolled snacks and noodles beside.
Local tip Sit at a shared counter and order a few plates for the table. Ask the stallholder about any allergy first, since the dishes are cooked in the open.
A flowing, curved building of metal panels, with exhibition halls, design shops and a plaza around it. It is worth a slow walk outside, and it looks different after dark.
Go whenLate afternoon, when the building starts to light up.
Local tip Walk the whole curve of the building outside, then go in to see which exhibition is on. Check ahead, because the halls change often.
A pancake of sweet dough, filled with brown sugar and nuts and fried on a griddle until crisp. A street snack for a walk, sold from carts and stalls in the lanes around the plaza.
Local tip The filling is very hot when it comes off the griddle, so give it a minute before the first bite.
A hill park where a stretch of the old Seoul City Wall runs along the ridge. Walk a short part of the wall as the day cools and look down over the old city. On a hazy day the view is soft.
Go whenLate afternoon, around sunset.
Local tip Follow the wall along the ridge for a short while and look back at the city. The path is uphill and uneven, so wear shoes with a grip.
Korean fried chicken is twice fried so the skin stays crisp, then coated in a sweet and spicy sauce or served plain. Neighborhood places around Dongdaemun serve it, often with a cold beer or a soft drink.
Local tip Order half and half, plain and sauced, to share. Pickled radish on the side cuts through the richness.
If it rains. The market and the design building are partly or fully indoors, so keep them. Changdeokgung is lovely in light rain, but skip the climb to the city wall in a heavy downpour and go back another evening.
Day 3. Markets, Myeong-dong and Namsan
4 stops · 7.1 km
A day in the middle of the city and on its mountain. A traditional market in the morning, a shopping district, a walk up to the tower on the hill and a quiet walkway above the station to end the day.
Travel from NaksanAbout 12 min by car or transit3.5 km
Where Day 2 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time
Namdaemun Market
A huge traditional market beside the old south gate, with lanes of clothing, kitchenware, gifts and food. Go in the morning, when the stalls are busy and the lanes are easy to walk.
Go whenMorning, when the lanes are busy and the stalls are open.
Local tip Look for the lane of noodle shops and sit at a counter for lunch. Bargaining happens in some stalls, but food and fixed price shops do not.
Knife-cut wheat noodles in a clear, warm broth, with a spoonful of seasoned vegetables on top. Lanes at the market are known for small counters that serve it.
Local tip A bowl is a full meal. Eat the noodles first while they are hot and drink the broth last.
The busiest shopping district in the city, full of cosmetics shops, fashion and street food, with a grand old cathedral on a side street. Loud and bright, and good for an hour of people watching.
Go whenMidday or early afternoon, as a break from the walking.
Local tip Step into the quiet courtyard of the cathedral on a side street, which is a pause from the shopping lanes.
The lanes fill with carts that sell egg bread, skewers of grilled meat and potatoes fried on a stick. A good way to taste several things in a short walk.
Local tip Eat each snack at the cart, since walking and eating at once is crowded here. Look at what is cooked in front of you.
A tower on top of the mountain in the middle of the city, reached by a steep walk, a cable car or a bus. The paths through the trees are as good as the top, and the view depends on the haze.
Go whenLate afternoon, near sunset, on a clear day.
Local tip Walk up through the trees or take the cable car, and plan to walk down again. The haze can hide the city, so pick a clear day.
A former highway overpass turned into a raised garden walkway beside Seoul Station. Stroll among the planters and look down on the trains and the roads below as the evening comes in.
Go whenEvening, as the day cools.
Local tip Walk the whole length once, then go down to the lanes at the end and find somewhere to eat.
Sundubu-jjigae, a bubbling red stew of soft tofu, vegetables and often seafood or pork, served in a stone bowl with rice. The lanes around Seoul Station have simple places that serve it.
Local tip The stew arrives boiling and stays hot for a long time. Stir a little rice into it as you go.
If it rains. The markets have roofs, and Myeong-dong has indoor malls. Keep the tower and the raised walkway for a dry spell, and take a covered stop instead if the hill is wet.
Day 4. The national museum, Itaewon and Hongdae
4 stops · 12.6 km
A slower south and west day. A very large museum in the morning, a mixed neighborhood for lunch, a quiet linear park and then the youth quarter after dark.
Travel from Seoullo 7017About 12 min by car or transit3.7 km
Where Day 3 ended.
1
MorningPick your galleries
National Museum of Korea
A very large museum of Korean art and history, with gold crowns, ceramics, Buddhist sculpture and calm halls. Pick two or three galleries instead of trying to see all of it, and walk out into the grounds.
Go whenMorning, when the halls are calm.
Local tip Choose the rooms of ceramics and gold from the old kingdoms, and leave time for the grounds outside. Two or three rooms beat a rush through all of them.
A mixed neighborhood of international restaurants, small shops and hilly side streets, the most varied place to eat in the city. A good place to eat something other than Korean food if you want a change.
Go whenMidday, for a walk and a meal.
Local tip Walk the main street and then turn up a side lane, where the small shops and cafes sit on the hill.
The neighborhood has kitchens from many countries, so it suits a change from Korean food: noodles, kebabs, burgers or a long brunch. Pick a place with a menu you can read.
Local tip Walk one block off the main street, where the places are quieter and easier to get into.
About 17 min by car or transit6.7 km
3
AfternoonA quiet walk
Gyeongui Line Forest Park
A long, narrow park built over a railway line that went underground, with lawns, benches and cafes along its length. A calm walk on the west side, and an easy way to reach Hongdae on foot.
Go whenAfternoon, before the evening in Hongdae.
Local tip Walk the park slowly and stop at a cafe beside it. It is an easy, flat walk that ends near Hongdae.
The lanes beside the park are full of small cafes, each with its own style, serving coffee, shaved ice with sweet toppings and baked goods. A pause before the evening.
Local tip Many cafes are tiny, so go early or late rather than at the peak of the afternoon.
The youth quarter around an art school, with street performers, small shops, music venues and late night food. It is at its liveliest after dark and it is easy to wander alone or with friends.
Go whenEvening, once the street performers and shops are in full swing.
Local tip Walk the main street and then the lanes behind it, where the small shops and bars are. It is busy on weekend nights.
Pajeon, a thick pancake of scallions and seafood, goes with makgeolli, a milky rice drink, in the cozy old-style pubs of the neighborhood. A relaxed, shared evening meal.
Local tip Order the pancake to share and the rice drink by the jug. A soft drink is a fine alternative.
If it rains. The national museum is indoors and large, so give it a longer morning. Itaewon and Hongdae have many covered shops and cafes. Skip the park walk in the rain.
Day 5. A day out to Suwon
3 stops · 32.6 km
A day out of the city, about an hour by train or subway, to a town with a fortress wall built more than two hundred years ago. A palace in the town, a walk on the wall and a floodgate with a pavilion. Drop it for a slower day in Seoul if you like.
Drive from HongdaeAbout 43 min by car31.4 km
Where Day 4 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time
Hwaseong Haenggung
A temporary palace that the king used when he traveled to the town, with courtyards, halls and a plaza in front of it. A quiet way to start the day before the walk on the wall.
Go whenMorning, as the first stop of the day.
Local tip Walk the courtyards slowly and check ahead for events held in the plaza in front.
The town is known for galbi, marinated short ribs grilled at the table, usually served with rice and side dishes. A hearty lunch near the palace before the walk on the wall.
Local tip Ask the staff to cut the ribs for you and tell them about any allergy first.
A World Heritage fortress wall with gates, towers and lookouts, built around the old town in the eighteenth century. The whole circuit is long, so take a stretch of it and stop at the north gate.
Go whenMidday, with plenty of time for the walk.
Local tip Take a stretch of the wall rather than the whole circuit, which fills a long day. The path is uneven in places, so wear shoes with a grip.
About 4 min walk0.3 km
3
AfternoonWorth a short stop
Hwahongmun
A floodgate with arched openings that carries a stream through the wall, with a small pavilion beside it. A pleasant place to sit and end the day on the wall before the ride back to Seoul.
Go whenAfternoon, before the ride back to Seoul.
Local tip Cross the stream by the floodgate and sit by the pavilion for a while. Check the return trip before it gets late.
Dinner
Whole fried chicken in Suwon
Another local favorite is tongdak, a whole chicken fried until crisp, cut into pieces and served with a dipping sauce. The lanes by the old south gate have simple places that serve it.
Local tip Eat it hot, and order a side of radish to share.
If it rains. The fortress wall is slippery in the rain, so keep the palace and shorten the walk. Check the forecast the evening before, and swap this day for a slower day in Seoul if it pours.
Departure day
After the last day. Allow for the long ride to the airport and the morning stays calm.Details
Check-out
Many hotels will hold a bag for you after check-out if you ask, which frees the last morning for a walk or a market.
To the airport
Incheon is a long ride from the center, so leave earlier than you think you need to. The airport railroad and the airport buses both run from several parts of the city.
If you have a few hours
A last tea in Insa-dong or a walk in the lanes near your hotel is enough. Save the souvenirs for the airport or a market the day before.
Questions people ask
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 5 days in Seoul, planned for mid October. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
Each day has about 1.1 to 8.8 kilometers between its stops, and 19.9 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
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